Electrochemical valorization of biobased chemicals

The electrochemical valorization of biobased compounds is an approach that allows to use (renewable) electricity for conducting the (catalytic) chemical conversions of renewable substrates. This concept is seen as a strategy of great potential for the more sustainable production of fuels and chemicals. It can lead to a significant decrease in the carbon footprint, since it combines the use of renewable feedstocks with renewable energy. However, for the implementation of this concept on industrial scale under the current geopolitical conditions and legal regulations, it needs to deliver cost-efficiency and performance competitive to the existing methods utilizing thermochemical conversions of fossil-derived substrates. In practice, this essentially requires (re)designing and optimizing numerous processes, starting with the development of new (electro)chemical reactions of biobased chemicals. This dissertation provides new insights into the development and optimization of novel routes for electrochemical and electrocatalytic conversions of biobased compounds into the value-added chemicals.